About Us
We are a small, but active club in the beautiful
colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
We are an all-volunteer run group and welcome your ideas. If you would like to volunteer, please email the club and someone on the Board will reach out to you.
Pickleball arrived in San Miguel de Allende in 2010 with a few avid players and quickly took off. Initially, players used a run-down tennis court at the Real De Minas hotel and chalked the lines. A couple of years later, they began the same routine on a tennis court at La Unidad Deportiva… all good fun with 6 to 8 people. In 2016, the Unidad Deportiva allowed the club to paint permanent court lines on the basketball courts. When one of the players became a PB ambassador it pushed the awareness factor with visitors and put our club on the map. Recently the Deportiva built 6 permanent courts for pickleball use.
Locals play year-round and those who come to San Miguel for the winter months swell the numbers considerably. Comprised of Mexicans and foreigners from all over the globe, (Australia, Canada, France, USA, and Venezuela to name a few) players are friendly and enjoy meeting socially on and off the courts.
In addition to regular play, over the years the club has promoted the game of Pickleball and fitness to the general public through clinics and fun days. Our goal is to continue to grow the game here in SMA, to host tournaments and to foster a community that all can enjoy the game.
To read a Memoriam to our friend and founder, Gordon Asimus, (pictured left) click here.
PB Schedule
The Club has Open Play (Paddle Stack) from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm with some variations for Challenge Courts and Play for Groups of Four.
To see the full schedule click on our *Calendar and/or go to this page for guidelines on the format for play. These guidelines are also posted at the courts and the Club has Ambassadors present during Open Play to help guide players as well as to answer any questions you may have.
Despite it being Open Play, we recommend that you sign up through our *Calendar so that players have an idea of how many are on the courts each day.
You may use Playtime Scheduler to set up games after 12:30 pm on any of the courts.
*The Calendar is not available yet.
Equipment & Set-up
The club has several paddles available to loan for daily use. These are first-come, first-serve. There are permanent nets on the courts. Portable nets, and containment nets for the multi-use courts as well as balls, are all provided by the club.
As you leave the courts, please check for rubbish and deposit in the garbage can near the running track fence or at the top of the steps.
If there are any articles left behind, please put them in the orange lock box for the owner to pick up at a later time. Items will be removed on the first Friday of each month and donated to a local charity.
DONATIONS
The city courts are free for all to use. The Club provides balls, nets, loaner paddles, lessons for beginners and assists La Deportiva in maintaining the courts.
The club accepts contributions to help offset these expenses.
All contributions are voluntary and gratefully accepted. For more information contact the Club Treasurer by emailing [email protected]
Location: Unidad Deportiva
See Open Play Guidelines here.
We use court facilities located within the Municipal Sports Complex, “La Unidad Deportiva.” There are 6 outdoor, dedicated pickleball courts located near the running track. Two enclosed courts have lights for evening play.
The Unidad Deportiva is located on Salida de Celaya, 1km past the La Comer grocery store and across the highway from the entrance to Los Frailes. There is parking available. If you don’t drive, there is a local bus that will drop you off in front of the entrance.
2024/25 Board
The SMA Pickleball club is an all-volunteer run organization whose goals are to promote and grow the game of Pickleball in San Miguel and to raise the funds to help maintain the city’s courts. If you would like to volunteer for this organization please reach out. Staggered board positions are voted on annually.
Jessica Frick
President
Jessica found pickleball on the SMA courts in 2021 and has been hooked ever since. She is an enthusiastic member of the community, participating in local games, tournaments, training clinics, and coordinating events with clubs from surrounding cities.
Carly Cross
Vice-President
Carly arrived in San Miguel in 2001 and joined the pickleball club in 2023 with her daughter. Now a self-professed pickleball addict, she hopes to be an ambassador of the sport for our community.
Val Reitman
Secretary
A former journalist, Val has lived in SMA for over a decade. She began dinking in the spring of ’22. In addition to the wonderful friends she has made on the courts, she feels pickleball enriches her life in every way.
Paul Carlino
Treasurer
Paul has been a member of the club since he moved to San Miguel in 2018. He has introduced numerous players to the sport, including his son.
Alexa Bolles
Member-at-Large
Fernando Dávila
Member-at-Large
Fernando has been playing pickleball for 4 years and is a force to contend with on the courts. He remembers when he was the youngest in the club, “now he isn’t!”
Erick Nava
Member-at-Large
While new to the Club, Erick is already a fixture on the courts. He feels pickleball has opened up a whole new community of friends to him and he hopes to encourage others to join in the fun.
